Part 8/14:
- NP problems are verifiable in polynomial time; solutions may not be easy to find but are easy to verify once found.
Most experts assume P ≠ NP, which underpins current cryptography. If this assumption holds, encryptions like AES are secure because you cannot feasibly decrypt data without keys—only verify correctness efficiently afterward.
But what if P = NP? That would revolutionize everything. Problems currently considered intractable would become tractable, leading to:
Instant decryption of all cryptographic data
Threats to digital security, financial markets, and national security
A paradigm shift in AI and problem-solving